


Unexpected Visitors

by dS_Tiff



Category: Scorpion (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst, Episode Related - S04E17 'Dumbster Fire', F/M, Friendship, Quintis - Freeform, Self-Pity, Unexpected Visitors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-27 03:20:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13872021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dS_Tiff/pseuds/dS_Tiff
Summary: The evening after the events of S04E17 'Dumbster Fire', Toby and Happy are at home trying to make sense of the day, but it's taken an emotional toll.  Maybe a surprise visit from older and wiser friends is just what they need?





	Unexpected Visitors

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set after the events of S04E17 - Dumbster Fire. This episode left me feeling uncomfortable about a few things so I tried to write my way through some of the confusion and this is the result. I hope you enjoy it. All comments welcome, thank you kindly!

“Hey, Doc, the pharmacy’s open. Come get your meds!” Happy stepped out of the bedroom assuming her husband would be waiting eagerly for her, but to her disappointment there was no-one there. 

“Doc? Toby?” she called. No answer. “Crap, I got dressed in this stupid costume for nothing,” Happy muttered under her breath. 

She buttoned up the long white coat and pushed the dark rimmed glasses onto her head. “Toby, if you’re asleep on the couch I swear I’ll…” but she stopped when she found Toby. 

He wasn’t asleep, he was reading. Happy couldn’t see the title on the cover of the book, but it was obviously a very weighty scientific tome. 

Happy sighed and stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips. “I thought you were coming to bed!” she exclaimed. She immediately regretted the harsh tone of voice she had adopted. It hadn’t been intentional, but she had a lot of tension to work off and she’d been hoping to do it in bed. With Toby. Preferably without the Sexy Pharmacist outfit, but if that’s what Toby wanted her to wear then that’s what she’d wear. It wasn’t usually too long before the outfits came off anyway so she didn’t really mind.

Toby briefly glanced up from his book, but his eyes soon returned to the page. “I’ll be there in five minutes,” he replied casually.

“T… Toby?” Her own shaky voice took her by surprise. She was wearing the stupid outfit, even the glasses… hadn’t he noticed? 

His rejection stung. Stung more than she ever imagined it could. She knew the day had been weird for all of them – temporarily losing their high IQs had freaked out the whole team in one way or another - but now she and Toby had finally decided which doctor they were going to use to help them have a baby she thought all the edginess between them had dissipated. It seemed she might have been wrong. 

Without saying another word, Happy turned and headed back towards the bedroom. She half-hoped Toby would run after her, but he didn’t. She knew she shouldn’t have lost her temper with him today, but it wasn’t the first time and Toby usually understood her. Maybe she was overthinking this? Maybe he was just engrossed in his book and he would really be joining her in five minutes like he said? 

Before Happy had a chance to get too worried there was a knock at the door. She couldn’t imagine who would be visiting at this time of night and for a moment she completely forgot what she was wearing. Luckily she remembered at the last second before she opened the door to see Cabe and Allie standing there.

“Oh…hi, er… you guys!” she exclaimed awkwardly, shielding herself behind the door. They were smartly dressed and Happy detected the distinct aroma of Cabe’s favourite cologne. She assumed they were on their way back from a date.

“Hey, kid,” smiled Cabe. “We were just passing by, thought we’d drop in.”

“Um, OK,” said Happy with a puzzled frown. “Why?” Happy didn’t believe in being anything but direct. She grabbed Toby’s leather jacket from the hook behind the door and wrapped it around herself, but the pharmacist’s coat was still clearly visible reaching down to her knees. 

“Just making sure you kids are OK after today,” replied Cabe. “Hope we’re not interrupting anything?”

“Nope,” replied Happy, curtly. “Nothing going on here. So I, er, I guess you wanna come in?” 

“If it’s inconvenient we’ll just go,” said Allie with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry we didn’t call ahead, but Cabe told me about what happened today and, well, we’re both a little worried about you and Toby.”

Happy uncomfortably shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “Worried about us?” she repeated. “Oh. Well, er, we’re fine. Um, thanks.”

Cabe’s expression softened with his concern for her. “Today was a tough day. Toby nearly died today.”

“We all nearly died,” Happy pointed out. “You should be used to it by now, Cabe. Look, er, I was just going to jump in the shower,” she lied. “Toby’s through there if you want to trade insults for a while. It’s not like he’s doing anything important right now.”

Cabe opened his mouth to reply, but Happy had already run back into her bedroom. He turned to Allie and sighed heavily. Something had made him drop by on his way home. Something about today had thrown off the whole team more than any other case recently. “I guess my gut instinct was right.” 

Allie nodded sadly and followed Cabe into the other room to find Toby still reading his book.

“Hi, Doc,” said Cabe. “Happy said you were in here.”

Toby looked up at the sound of Cabe’s voice and closed his book. He certainly hadn’t been expecting any visitors at this time of night, least of all Cabe.

“Hey,” he said. “Can’t sleep, huh? Y’know, a recent study concluded people over the age of sixty need on average an hour and a half less sleep per night than those under thirty.”

“I’m not sixty yet!” exclaimed Cabe.

“You’re not?” Toby feigned ignorance.

“Quit being such a jackass,” scolded Cabe. He took off his overcoat and threw it onto the arm of a chair. Toby was surprised to see the older man was wearing a dinner jacket and bow-tie. From the style and cut Toby realised the jacket was at least thirty years old and he couldn’t help but admire the fact that Cabe could still fit into it.

It was only then that Toby realised Allie was there too. She was wearing an elegant, dark green gown with a velvet shrug around her shoulders and she smiled at Toby.

“So you guys are into kinky costume fun too?” said Toby, with a wink. “Let me guess, elegant lady and… a waiter? Happy and I have never tried that one.”

“Shut it, Doc,” snarled Cabe and he sat down in the chair. 

Allie glared at Cabe as she took a seat on the couch next to Toby “Actually we’ve just been to the opening of that new art gallery,” she explained. “We were on our way home, but we wanted to make sure you and Happy were OK after what happened today.” She reached out and patted Toby’s arm with affection.

Toby looked at her, quickly analysing her body language. He was warmed to see the genuine concern in her eyes. 

On the face of it today’s case had gone no less badly than any other – at least no one had been blasted into space, or kidnapped by Mark Collins this time - but the whole team were dealing with other things and saving the world had been the least of their worries.

“You got any coffee?” asked Cabe. 

“Kitchen,” replied Toby. “Can you remember where that is?” he added, sarcastically.

Cabe clenched his fists and Toby couldn’t help the smug grin that spread across his lips.

“I’ll go,” smiled Allie, quickly smoothing things over. “You guys can talk. Man to man.”

“Man to man?” Toby looked at Cabe with surprise as Allie walked off towards the kitchen. “Does that mean you’re gonna hit me? Because I gave up boxing. Although my wife still says I’m a knockout.”

“No, I’m not gonna hit you, Doc,” replied Cabe. “Unless you think I should?” he added with a wicked grin.

“Maybe I do?” replied Toby in a self-deprecating tone. “And I could write a whole paper on why. I’d have to dumb it down for you, of course.”

Cabe’s grin quickly faded. “I don’t know what got into you geniuses today,” he said.

“We had gunk blocking our brains, remember?” retorted Toby.

“It didn’t just affect your IQs though, did it,” noted Cabe. “The atmosphere at the garage when I left sucked, I don’t know what’s up with Walt and Paige this time?”

“The day I figure out Walt and Paige I’ll let you know,” replied Toby.

“Then you and Happy fighting over your fertility treatment,” continued Cabe.

“I just wanted to make the right choice,” replied Toby, throwing his hands in the air. “Is that too much to ask?”

“No,” agreed Cabe. “It’s a big decision, but maybe you’d get more sympathy if you quit using that smartass mouth of yours?”

“Good advice,” noted Toby. “It does tend to get me into trouble. Good old self- destructive tendencies rearing their ugly head again. I’m a textbook case.”

“I know exactly what you’re doing,” continued Cabe. He began to mime with his hands in front of his face and then to either side of his head.

“Robot dancing?” offered Toby. 

Cabe frowned and mimed more vigorously.

“Vogue-ing? Like Madonna?”

“Putting up barriers,” said Cabe. “The smartass act, all the bonehead comments, I mean. Stops you getting hurt.”

Toby blew out a long, slow breath. That was the last thing he’d expected Cabe, of all people, to say. He’d told Happy a long time ago about why he acted the way he did and it had taken her a long time to really understand him. Cabe, of course, had a much higher EQ than Happy, but this wasn’t the kind of conversation Toby ever thought he’d have with Cabe.

“Am I right?” asked Cabe.

“Yep,” Toby replied. He was so taken aback that he couldn’t think of a smart answer. “Have you been reading Quincy Berkstead’s travesty of a bestseller?” 

“No,” Cabe answered. “But I read a couple interesting articles online.”

“You printed them out first though, didn’t you,” grinned Toby.

“Does that matter?” Cabe replied with a shrug. “OK, Doc, when I thought I was going to prison I was, well I was in a dark place. You helped me out big time,” he said. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t think you could. I used to think men talking about their feelings was… well, I thought it was unnecessary. Ugly, even. You proved me wrong.”

Toby looked at him. “Wait… you… you wanna be my shrink?” he asked, incredulously. “Why?” 

“I’m no shrink, Doc,” replied Cabe with a dismissive shrug. “But I’m… I guess I’m worried about you kids, I just want you to be happy, as happy as me and Allie are right now.”

“Cabe, Happy and I are doing just fine,” Toby answered with a smile. “I’m not saying that this baby making business hasn’t been tough, but we’re good. We’re tight. I know it doesn’t always look like it from the outside, but we are.”

“Hmmm,” said Cabe with a frown.

“OK, OK,” said Toby and his smile faded. “If you’re my shrink now you’d better take notes. I’m feeling like crap today because my boss - who happens to be my oldest friend - thinks I’m a joke, I’ve failed my wife and I still fight the mother of all battles every minute of every day with my dangerously addictive personality. Oh and throw in a huge dollop of self-loathing. I’ve been riding my luck for too long, Cabe. A beautiful wife, a great job, friends… a family. So I’m just waiting for my life to fall apart again. There. Analyse that, Doctor Gallo.”

Cabe leaned back in the chair and let out a slow breath. “Now tell me what’s really bothering you, Doc,” he said, raising an eyebrow in a satirical gesture. 

Before Toby could speak again, Allie walked back in carrying three mugs of coffee. She handed one to Cabe and one to Toby before sitting down next to him on the couch. She had deliberately given them time to talk alone, hoping Cabe would be able to get to the bottom of things, but she was concerned about Toby’s demeanour. She shot a worried glance at Cabe.

Cabe sighed and took a sip of his coffee. He didn’t want to say anything that would make Toby feel even worse. He thought back over their day and the mission that had started with the most tedious four hours of his life and ended with a race to save the world and realised something that he hadn’t thought about until now.

“You know, Doc, when you geniuses were deprived of your genius brainpower, Walt, Happy, even Sly all went on and on about how goddam hideous it must be for me and Paige to live in our non-genius world, but you didn’t,” he said. “You didn’t take the opportunity to take a swipe at us. You don’t normally need an excuse to poke fun at me.”

“I guess that’s because I’m so dumb I’m basically a non-genius already,” retorted Toby. “Just ask Walt.” His words were tinged with uncharacteristic bite.

Cabe leaned forward and clasped his hands in his lap. “Doc, you know all that’s a pile of crap. All that stuff about your IQ, I mean. Honestly? I thought that was below the belt, even for Walter.”

“It’s not the first time he’s said it,” replied Toby. “He always goes for the low blow because he doesn’t have my eclectic talent for puns. Walt couldn’t come up with a witty barb if the future of western civilisation depended on it.”

Cabe raised his eyebrows. “Is this what this is all about?” he asked. “You’re pissed at Walter?”

“Walt loves facts,” Toby reminded them. “He has a certificate in a frame with One Ninety Seven on it. The fourth highest IQ ever recorded. That number defines him and sometimes he just loves to rub it in.”

“What about the rest of you?” asked Allie. “What does it say on all of your certificates?”

“Walt’s the only one who’s ever taken the official test,” replied Toby. “But Sly’s probably right up into the one nineties too. Happy is well over one eighty, but me? I’m only one seventy something. Barely a genius at all.”

“Bullcrap. Stop beating yourself up over a stupid number,” ordered Cabe. “Einstein’s IQ was, what, one sixty?”

“And didn’t you get your PhD when you were seventeen?” asked Allie. “That’s got to mean something?”

“It means I’m good at studying,” replied Toby dismissively. “That’s all.” He got to his feet and walked across the room towards the window. It was dark outside, but the bright lights of the city lit up the night sky. 

Cabe shook his head in frustration and exchanged a glance with Allie. They both found it difficult to see Toby being so hard on himself. 

“Don’t take what Walter says to heart,” said Allie. “Why don’t you take an IQ test? It might help to put your mind at rest.”

“Not good with tests,” snapped Toby, spinning round to face them. “I took a different kind of test recently, remember? And I failed that one with flying colours. Besides, Happy was the one to bring up my IQ first today,” he pointed out. “Her psyche is telling her I’m not good enough for her and her psyche is right about that. She could do so much better than me. Someone with fully functioning bodily emissions for a start.” He walked back to the couch and sat down again. 

“Toby,” began Allie. “You’ve had a tough day, a tough few weeks, but I promise you that Happy loves you. You two are perfect for each other. She doesn’t want anyone else, but you.”

Cabe nodded. “You listen to my woman, Doc,” he said seriously. “She talks a lot of sense.” Cabe was no expert on relationships, far from it with one failed marriage behind him and his relationship with Allie almost failing before it had started, but he knew Happy and Toby were meant to be together. He exchanged a glance with Allie. “I think it’s time we left you and your wife alone,” he said and he gulped the last of his coffee before getting to his feet.

“You’ll be fine,” agreed Allie. “You’ll get through this together. And don’t worry about Walter.”

“Go spend some time with that amazing wife of yours,” urged Cabe. “I think she was wearing some kind of costume when we got here… I’m guessing she was wearing it for you.”

“Oh, hell, the Sexy Pharmacist!” exclaimed Toby. “I… I forgot. Too busy hating myself… see what a crappy husband I am? She’s gonna kill me.”

“She loves you, Doc,” said Cabe. “But I think she’s stressed about the whole baby thing.”

“You think?” Toby retorted sarcastically. 

“Yeah, I am.”

Cabe and Toby spun round to see Happy standing in the doorway. She was dressed in a grey sweatshirt and baggy leggings. No sign of the Sexy Pharmacist costume, much to her husband’s devastation. 

“Hi, Sugarplum,” said Toby, jumping up again. 

Allie smiled at her. “We were just leaving,” she said. “I think you and Toby need to be alone for a while.”

“I’ll see you kids tomorrow,” said Cabe. “We can pick this up another time, Doc,” he added as he and Allie headed for the door.

“Sure, why not?” nodded Toby. “Because I was having so much fun talking about my failures and inadequacies!”

“Button it, Doc,” commanded Happy. “Do whatever you need to do, but do not put yourself down, understood?”

Toby was silent as Happy closed the door behind their visitors. She hadn’t overheard the whole conversation, but she’d heard enough to be grateful they had stopped by. She hadn’t realised just how miserable Toby was tonight. She knew she was partly to blame and she wanted to put things right, but she didn’t know how.

Toby couldn’t bring himself to look at his wife as she walked back into the room. “I know you’re stressed,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry, this is all my fault.”

“No, it’s mine,” replied Happy. “I was a little pissed with you earlier about choosing a fertility doctor so I… I lashed out. I shouldn’t have mentioned your IQ. It was an easy shot. I’m sorry.”

Toby shrugged and finally looked her in the eye. “It’s true, though. I do have the lowest IQ. It’s a fact.”

“By a few points, maybe, but who cares? It means zip,” replied Happy. 

She never expected this to be an issue in their marriage. Walter had brought it up before when he and Toby were bickering, but they bickered so often and Toby had never taken it to heart before. She realised he was just hyper-sensitive at the moment and she desperately wanted to make him realise that it was the last thing she cared about. 

“And it doesn’t matter anyway,” she continued. “It’s just a stupid number. We’re a team, even the non-geniuses. IQ score has nothing to do with anything. I shouldn’t have brought it up, I was deliberately trying to sting you and that sucks. I knew Walter would run with it. I don’t want to hurt you, dummy. I love you.”

Toby took a step closer to her and reached out one hand. Happy’s heart skipped with joy at the gesture. She had been terrified that she’d ruined everything. She wrapped her fingers tightly around his and allowed herself to relax at his touch.

“Can we not talk about this anymore?” he asked.

“I… I don’t want you to self-destruct,” she half- whispered. “Please, I need you.”

Toby nodded and then a smile flickered at the corners of his mouth. “I know what I need,” he said and Happy was momentarily puzzled as he raced off, only to return moments later with a prescription pad and a pen.

“Er, Doc, I don’t think you can write your own script,” said Happy. “Pretty sure that’s against the rules.”

“Oh but I can,” grinned Toby as he scribbled on the pad. “I can if I’m going to cash it in with the Sexy Pharmacist,” he replied. He triumphantly ripped off the page from the pad and presented it to Happy.

She took it from him, still a little puzzled and read the words. Then she couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. This was her Toby, he wasn’t broken after all. “Happy pills, Doc?” she said. 

“I’ve waited so long for the right opportunity to use that one!” exclaimed Toby. “So, are you gonna dispense my medicine or not? I think I’m addicted!”

“I guess I’ll have to reopen the pharmacy, give me five minutes, Doc,” Happy replied with a seductive smile. “I’ll just go make sure I have what you need.” She stepped closer to her husband and reached up to kiss him. Toby pulled her close and deepened the kiss and she could feel his tension start to melt away. 

Eventually he had to break away and Happy looked into his eyes. She realised in that moment that their love would hold them together through anything that life had to throw at them. That he needed her as much as she needed him. He brushed a few stray hairs from Happy’s face with his fingers and the sensation of his touch sent a shiver of expectation through her. Toby smiled and kissed her forehead before answering. “Oh, I’m sure you have exactly what I need.”

THE END.


End file.
